Burnet girls make the most of strength and conditioning

CAPTION: Rheid McFerrin (left), Kinley Callahan and Allison Behrens use kettlebells as part of their weight training. Staff photos by Jennifer Fierro

Just as the sun was breaking through clouds, the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District Lady Dawgs were entering the Student Activity Center for their summer strength and conditioning session.

Just as the Bulldogs were arriving to begin stretching for their own workout, the Lady Dawgs were exiting the weight room to walk onto the turf for agility and speed training.

Girls athletic coordinator Crystal Shipley, head coaches Jayci Craig and Doug Ketcham, and assistant coach Brent Kelley were leading four different stations on the artificial turf all designed to help the athletes get quicker, run faster and jumper higher.

While some of the faces may be new to this summer activity, what didn’t change was the Lady Dawgs’ intensity that didn’t dip, no matter which station they went to. The other component that remained? The Lady Dawgs put in the sweat equity and still encouraged and uplifted one another. The individual who was among the first to do that is Shipley herself.

“I feel like we’re finally hitting that transition into what my goals and expectations were because (former girls athletic coordinator Rick) Gates was before me, and he had a different set of goals and expectations,” said Shipley, who took over the role during the summer of 2023. “So with every leader that comes, you’re going to see a change. My vision is starting to show. And then also, we had a big coaching staff change (last summer), and we’ve maintained everybody except some middle school coaches. But for the most part, keeping those head coaches — and they have the same vision and expectations as me — and we’re starting to see that.”

Indeed. The alignment throughout the girls program was apparent as the coaches themselves kept watchful eyes on each athlete.

Shipley purposely begins each session in the weight room, pointing out the Lady Dawgs’ early morning is because it helped parents who needed to get to work, and she wanted to get the weight session over before the Bulldogs began their time. She also noted some of her athletes simply don’t enjoy those sessions as much as the other training. But as they’ve worked in the weight room, the athletes are understanding the importance of the work they’re putting in there as much as the others.

After all, bodies must be able to take the pounding that comes from each sport, and lifting weights helps in recovery. Besides, the Lady Dawgs love to end rallies with thunderous kills in volleyball, nail long-range jumpers in basketball, and hit home runs in softball. Being strong helps in all those areas.

The other part of the training is coaches wanted to see athletes move through lines and from station to the next in a fast pace. That helps with the conditioning part, too.

“I am not an early riser, but I like to make myself get a jump start on the day so they have the rest of their day,” Shipley said. “We can roll from that to this, and the parents that work aren’t having to go back and forth a million times. We’re trying to make it easy for parents, or they can catch a ride up here and you can come get them at 10:30, so I just feel like it just grows better.”

The “this” is the skills portion that follows the strength and conditioning sessions. That’s where players can go to The Doghouse to work on volleyball or basketball or head to Bulldog Diamonds for softball or Bulldog Field for soccer. The University Interscholastic League allows coaches one hour a day to work sport-specific skills with their athletes.

After that, coaches host an open gym where athletes can participate in pickup games, the fun reward for putting in the sweat equity. But there’s a catch.

“I don’t let them come to this if they’re not here for the other,” Shipley said, crediting the idea to a colleague at another school district. “If they don’t come to summer workouts, they don’t come to volleyball skills. They can’t do the fun and not do the hard work. So I stole that idea.”

She added that scholarships are available to athletes who want to participate in summer strength and conditioning but can’t afford to pay.

“If you can’t pay, we’ll find a way to get you sponsored,” the coordinator said. “We have a great community, and they take care of this.”

CAPTION: Hannah Brooks at at the height of jump, while Brianne Smith is about to jump onto a box. The Lady Dawgs use boxes to increase vertical jumps, a must in every sport.